A colour for Sweden

They accompany us throughout our journey in Sweden: the brightly painted wooden facades. In the harbours, at boathouses, warehouses and many farmsteads, Swedish red or Falu red traditionally still dominates. The latter name refers to the traditional manufacturer of the distemper paint in Falun.

The pigment mixture for Falu red has been extracted there since 1616 as a by-product of the now-closed copper mine and contains, among other things, the iron oxide that gives it its colour. The paint adheres particularly well to untreated, already processed or weathered wood and has a preservative effect. Following Scandinavian design with clear colours and shapes, classic white is also widespread, while in between you can find grey, yellow (so-called Manor House Yellow), green and blue facades in various shades and brightness levels. While people in towns are still somewhat reserved (or perhaps restricted by regulations), the Swedes love particularly bright colours for their beach huts. Life is colourful!